Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1887-02-27

MT. hepburn then demanded the read
ing of the bill.
AN HOUR WASTED.
over an hour was consumed in reading,
ana then the motion to suspend was
seconded by vote of lS9 to 8. There were
Immediately loud cries of s'vote," but Mr..
Hepburn secured the floor and opposed
tne motion, as did also Mr.. Anderson, of
Kansas. The motion to suspend the
rules and non-concur In the Senate amend
ments was agreed to by vote of 1862 TO SO.
Mr.. Herbert, of Alabama, moved to
dispense with the call Of committees for
reports. This motion was opposed by
Mr.. Hatch, of Missouri, who desired to re-
port the bill creating a department of
agriculture and labor, with the Senate
amendments thereto, for the purpose of
gettlng 1t upon the calendar, and subject
10 De called up for action in the morning
nour' he was unsuccessful, however,
and the call was dispensed With.
Mr.. Turner, OF Georgia, presented the
conference report on the bill relating to
contested election cases, and it was
agreed to. The bill prescribes the man.
ner In which testimony shall be taken
ana transmitted to the Clerk of the House.
Inc Speaker announced the appoint
ment of Messrs. Willis, Blanchard and
henderson of Illinois, as conferees on the
river and harbor appropriation bill.
THE NAVAL BILL.
Inc House then went into committee
OF the whole on the naval appropriation
Dill. Mr.. Sayers, of Texas, offered an
amendment appropriating $2,470 600 for
the construction OF two shift double boz
toned steel cruisers, each of about 1000
tons displacement, of the type of the
Newark" except the boilers and ma
CnlnprV flJJr nf zhnnf 700
placement, OF the type of"Gunboat No. l,
and one swift torpedo bOat-said vessels
to cost altogether, exclusive of armament,
not more than $4,9j0, 900.
Mr.. Holman, of Indiana, raised the
point OF order that the amendment
changed the existing law, and was not
In continuation OF any existing work.
Mr.. Herbert argued that it was in pur-
suance OF an existing work--the increase
OF the navy.
The chair (Mr. McCreary, of Ken
lucky. believed that the construction of
a navy was public work, and tbat the
language of the bill and the appropria-
tion made last session showed that the
construction OF navy was in progress.
1t might be said, also, that the proposed
amendment did not change the existing
law, as it was not prohibited by law.
PRECEDENT.
1t was very agreeable to the present
occupant of The chair to be able to refer
to precedent for his ruling. In the
FOrty-siXth COngress-whea with Mr..
Carlisle in the chair-it was decided that
appropriations for public works and
objects already in progress could be
included in general appropriation bill,
and that the word "Object" meant some
thing in addition TO the word work"
and must be held to include the public
departments Of the government and the
military and naval establishments rec
ognlzed by law and supported by the
government. There was no law prescrib-
ing the number of ships which should
constitute a navy or the number of guns
a ship should carry. The chair felt it his
duty to decide this point in accordance
with the ruling of the present speaker,
and to give the committee an opportunity
10 say whether 1t was in favor OF these
vessels or not. He, therefore, oyerruled
the point of order.
MR.. BOUTELLE'S BIG IDEAS.
Mr.. BOutelle, of Maine, offered as sub
stitute for the amendment an amendment
pproprIatIng $l5, ,OO0, 900 for tue oonstruc-
tion OF ten steel cruisers, and $4,000, 900
for the armament Of the same. The only
criticism he had to apply to the amend
meut of the gentleman from Texas was
that it did not go far enough.
Mr.. Herbert, of Alabama, strongly ad-
vOcated Mr.. Sayers' amendment The
government needed new ships, but in Sc
curing those ships it should 90 slowly.
1t should not only utilize the experience
Of foreign nations, but should itself ac-
quire experience. He did not think 1t
advisable to build ten ships, but he did
think that the government could begin
six new vessels and one torpedo boat.
Messrs. Holman and Bland objected to
the proposed extraordinary expenditure
OF the peoples money in time OF pro-
found peace, and characterized ii as an
effort to prevent a reduction of taxation.
MIR. Reed, OF Maine, supported Mr..
Boutelle's amendment, and Messrs. Oates.
of Alabama, and McAdoo, OF New Jer-
sey, that of MIR. Sayers.
Mr.. Boutelle's substitute was rejected
by vote OF ST 10 107, almost strict
party vote.
TO BE BUILT UNDER CONTRACT.
Mr.. Thomas, OF Illinois, moved TO
amend the amendment by providing that
the vessels shall be built under contract,
and as nearly as may be in compliance
with the provisions of the act of Aug. 8.
1886. This was agreed to.
As thus amendedthe amendment offered
a vote of 1874 to 80.
On point of order raised by Mr.. Ran
dali the last paragraph OF the bill author
izing,the transfer of material from one
bureau of the Navy Department TO
another was ruled from the bill.
The committee then rose and reported
the bill to the House. The House re-
affirmed by 151 yeas to IL nays the
action of the committee in adopting the
offered by Mr.. Sayers and
the bill was passed
IN CONFUSION.
The previous order for a session tonight
for the delivery of eulogies upon the late
Cole, of Maryland, was
vacated, and Monday night was assigned
for that purpose. Then for an hour the
House was in storm and confusion. The
Appropriations Committee desired to
take recess TO enable the legislative ap-
Dill to be considered tonight,
but were unable TO secure quorum for
that purpose. Motions TO adjourn were
voted down, propositions for a session
tomorrow night were objected to. and
finally at 6:l5 O'Clock call or the House
was ordered. The doors were then
ordered to be closed, but a resolution was
adopted providing that all members VINO
presented themselves at the
doors before 8 o'clock should be admitted
and should not be compelled to give an
excuse for their absence. This was taken
as tacit agreement that no business
would be transacted until that hour and
many members left the hall, and after
some further oOllOQuy the House at 6:15